BOSH! BOYS
As the vegan revolution gathers pace, The Bosh! boys, or Henry Firth and Ian Theasby to their mums, chat to Carl Marsh about plant-based progress.
What do you say to people who think that veganism is just a fad?
When we went vegan four years ago, there was hardly any information out there on veganism. We had to relearn pretty much how to cook. Fast forward to now and not only has there been an enormous surge of veganism in the UK, with vegan ranges readily available in all major supermarkets and restaurants, but there’s also been a massive increase in flexitarians or mindful meaties!
Whatever your reason for cutting out more meat and dairy from your diet, be it your health or the environment, it’s not a fad. If anything, it’s the future. Many scientists have agreed that the single most important thing an individual can do to reduce their carbon footprint is to cut out meat and dairy from their diets.
Plenty of dieticians think that veganism is not necessarily a healthier lifestyle, with challenges involved in getting all the correct nutrients. Do you find this to be a challenge?
You can be unhealthy on any diet or lifestyle! You can be an unhealthy vegan if you live on a diet of chips and pasta, just as it can be on any diet or if you eat a lot of processed meats. As a nation, we need to get better at nutrition, whether you’re vegan or not. We have a big green smoothie every day to make sure that we get all the good stuff we need for the day ahead.
From our experience of eating plants, we’ve seen so many health benefits – we lost excess weight, our skin became clearer, hair thicker, we sleep better at night and wake up feeling fresher and more energised. How we fuel our bodies is a personal choice and if you’re worried about nutrition in any capacity, do your research or chat to your doctor.
Henry – was it just watching the Netflix documentary Cowspiracy that made you decide to make a change?
At that time in my life, I was very aware of climate change and wanted to do something that would have a positive impact on the environment. So when I watched Cowspiracy, it resonated with me, and I knew straight away that I had to cut out meat and dairy.
What did you do with all the meat you had in your home? Chuck it away?
Our housemates made good use of anything we had left! We definitely wouldn’t recommend wasting food and going vegan doesn’t have to be an overnight transition. Do what works for you.
What made you vegan, Ian?
I made a New Year’s resolution in 2015 to cut out alcohol for three months, which I found surprisingly easy. One month in, I upped the ante and trialed vegetarianism, which I found a lot more complicated. After researching vegetarianism and veganism, I decided that veganism was right for me and cut out all animal products from my diet by March.
Climate change is real, but some people are still not convinced. Do you think we will ever get to the stage where it’s a no-brainer and everybody knows that the world needs fixing?
It’s inspiring to see the younger generation rallying for climate change, look at Greta Thunberg for example. As individuals, we can make as many changes as we can, but ultimately we need our governments and organisations to act. We’re getting there slowly; we hope that the no-brainer doesn’t come too late.
By doing what you do with the books and YouTube, have you any success stories of people you have met, and how have they felt physically since changing what they eat?
We love meeting people at our book events and hearing how much they enjoy our food! The best ones are when we meet people who are a little bit sceptical and can’t believe our food is vegan – then the next time we see them they’ve bought a copy for the whole family…
Henry and Ian will be at Waterstones in Cardiff on Thurs 10 Oct (7.30pm) for a Q&A and book signing of BOSH! How To Live Vegan.
